The Shoes

The sun began to rise over Mira’s window frame. She stirred inside her sleep as the suns warmth wrapped itself around her. Mira leaned up and looked through her canopy at the clock. It was approximately ten after seven. She then rolled over to the other side of the bed, but couldn’t fall asleep. So, she pushed back the covers and jumped out of bed. As she was reaching for her satin robe, Mira glanced at the calendar. Her eyes suddenly became very large with astonishment.

Today was the fashion show at the Museum of Natural Arts. Mira raced around her spacious closet in hopes of piecing together the perfect outfit. Once she had her outfit picked out, Mira now had the biggest decision to make: which pair of shoes to wear. Her eyes scanned the twenty shelves that were packed with shoes. Mira collected all types of footwear, which included: flip-flops, stilettos, crocks, sandals, boots and any other shoe imaginable. A lot of people had often told Mira that she had an obsession with shoes, but she never really believed it was a problem. After all, what could be wrong with shoes Mira had always told herself.

Mira decided that she would wear a pair of snake skin boots. She then skipped down the steps and into the kitchen.

“ Good morning, father. I’m off to the fashion show, chao!” she said brightly. Her father was the Lord of Madrid, which meant that he was both rich and famous. Before he could say anything, Mira was already out the door.

Mira skipped down the sidewalk. She was really excited about the fashion show, especially the footwear gallery. Mira walked about thirteen blocks until she reached the museum. She tried to look and walk in a sophisticated manner, but she was really jumpy and screaming on the inside.

“ Just think”, Mira told herself, “today you’ll see how those cute designs were thought of.”

Mira entered into the museum. For a second she thought she might faint from excitement. She decided to start with the most modern trends and then work her way back to the older wardrobes. She joined a tour group that was heading for a gallery of new designs. Mira saw all the new fashions from Paris, Rome, Italy, Japan and New York. She soon became bored with seeing outfit after outfit. She wanted to see the shoes! So Mira left the group she was in and strolled down another corridor. As she glanced around, she spotted a sign that read Footwear Through the Ages. She suddenly became overly excited and made a run for the gallery.

When she entered the gallery, Mira realized that she was the only one in the room. Mira took her time, looking at all the different types and styles of shoes. She thought that she could hear the faint sound of voices, but she was still the only one in the room. Mira glanced around the room and closed her eyes for a second, and reassured herself that there was nothing there. The out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a pair of Egyptian dress shoes. The shoes themselves were fairly plain, with the exception of the jewels that were placed along the foot strap. The shoes were sandal like, but laced up the wearers leg and were made entirely of black leather. Mira walked quickly over to the counter. She was infatuated with these Egyptian dress shoes. Without looking to see if anybody else wad around, she reached out to touch the leather sandals. A tour guide appeared beside her and asked her if she could help her with anything.

“ I want those shoes!” Mira spoke sternly. The tour guide gave Mira a judgmental glance.

“ Those shoes are not for sale Madam.” said the tour guide in a professional tone.

Mira answered “ Oh Please! Nowadays, everything is for sale. You are talking to the Lord’s daughter. My daddy can pay any price you like. Just name it!”

The clerk made Mira pay a ridicules amount for the shoes, but it was worth it to her.

Mira walked down the steps and onto the sidewalk. She stopped and looked at her beautiful, new shoe adoringly one last time before going home.

When Mira returned home, she looked the mail. She saw an envelope with her name on it. Mira took the letter opener and split the paper open. It was an invitation to a party. Mira wasn’t really surprised, she was usually invited to parties, and why shouldn’t she be invited? The party was scheduled for the following evening. Mira ran up the stairs and into her bedroom. She threw off the her slippers and tried on the Egyptian dress shoes. They looked very similar to a pair of high-heels that she owned, but these were so much more fancier. Mira strolled around her room, admiring her new pair of shoes.

Mira decided to go to bed early. She slipped into her bed and fell asleep. After only a few hours of sleep, Mira awoke to the sound of voices. She decided that it was only her imagination playing tricks on her and went back to sleep.

Mira woke up late in the afternoon and realized that she had slept the day away. She got out of bed and put on a clean outfit. She then grabbed her purse and credit card and went to the mall in search of a new outfit to wear to the party. Mira found the perfect dress, it even matched the shoes. Mira arrived home just in time to change, do her hair, and leave again.

When she arrived at the party, her feet hurt so badly that she just sat at a table for thirty minutes. Mira thought that if she danced, that it might release some of the tensions. So Mira danced for as long as she could. Everyone commented on how beautiful and glamorous the shoes were. Mira enjoyed the attention, but her feet felt terrible! Mira sat down on a nearby chair and glanced at her heels, they were nothing but blisters and sores. Mira panicked and decided to go home for the night.

Mira sat on her bed and tried to pry the shoes off her feet. She then heard the voices again. Only this time, she could tell that the voices were coming from the shoes.

“ Oh Mira! If you only new what we have been put through. We were once worn by Cleopatra and were regarded as the fairest shoes in the region. But then one night, a sorcerer came and cursed us. We were forced to belong to one person and one person only. Know, in your histories, it’s said that Cleopatra committed suicide. We know different! For it was we who murdered her! She should have never wore another pair of shoes, but yet they never seem to listen! Now, we request that you never wear another pair of shoes without our permission or your life will follow in the same order as Cleopatra’s.”

Mira didn’t believe that the shoes had actually talked to her. The shoes could feel that they were not being taken seriously. So every time Mia wore the shoes, it becamr harder to take them off. One night, Mira fell asleep with the shoes on. It was then that the shoes began to harass her. They gave her nightmares and rolled her around her bed all night long. Mira had enough! She pulled and tugged until the shoes gave up and released themselves from her feet. Mira laid the shoes on the stairs and took a nap, exhausted from the restless nights.

Mira awoke to the sound of her father calling her name. She rolled off the bed and ran to the top of her staircase. She looked down to see her father holding a shoes box. He must have brought me back shoes from his business trip Mira thought to herself. The other pair of shoes heard this and decided too show Mira whose boss. When Mira came down the stairs, the shoes tripped her. She fell down two flights of stairs and landed face-first on the hardwood floor. Mira could hear the shoes laughing at her. She then told herself that she was only hearing things and this was not really happening.

Mira came into the kitchen. Her father handed her the box that held the new shoes.

“ They’re not much, but I think that they will fit you quite well.” her father said through an anticipating smile. Mira flipped open the cream colored box.

“ Oh daddy, they’re so cute! Were did you find such authentic sandals?” Mira said excitingly. Her tone was meant to e sarcastic, but her father took it to be thankfulness.

“ I found them in a small store in Italy. The store wasn’t much to look at, but there shoes were descent.”

“ Thank you daddy! I’ll just go and try them on.”

Mira dashed up the stairs and into her room. Mira tried on the new shoes, but she didn’t like them as much as her Egyptian sandals. She compared them for hours, pacing from one wall to the other. Mira became exhausted from comparing the two shoes. She quickly fell into a sleep so deep that nothing could wake her.

The shoes decided to take revenge on Mira for wearing the shoe. The Egyptian shoe lifted Mira’s leg out of the bed. Mira stood up and started sleepwalking. The shoe walked her out onto the balcony. It flipped Mira over the into the pool below. Mira immediately awoke to find herself in the pool, and screamed. The shoe became unnaturally heavy and began to sink. Mira slipped under the water and was never heard not found. The only thing that was left behind was the pair of Egyptian shoe.

Later the shoes were returned to the gallery and sometimes people say that they can hear ominous laughter as they pass by.

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